December 2003
This is just the right time to wish you all well.
Ours is a dangerous pastime.
We travel about the highways and negotiate all sorts of obstacles, some of which can kill us.
Governments and local councils have us in their sights too, for we have money.
There have been changes this year. There will be changes next.
I write to you from the largest manufacturer in Europe.
We are very grateful for everything that you have done for us, and we for you.
RESPECT to Honest John for this site. He pays for all this.
See you at Easter.
Sean Kirby
Diesel Group Engineering Manager
Volkswagen GMBH.
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Any adverse comment about diesel cars seems to be regarded as heresy by many in the Backroom.
Mention of Jeremy Clarkson is also guaranteed to get adverse reaction in this forum.
Therefore his report on the BMW 530d in today's Sunday Times will upset both camps.
Actually for all his Tongue in Cheek style - "comparing it with anything fuelled with petrol is as stupid as comparing a typewriter to your computer" - he does sum up the case against diesels well.
He then goes on to slate the styling.
Same old JC - quite brilliant!
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Gah!! Burn the heretic!! (In petrol) ;)
Does anyone know whether leaving a car parked on grass for a few months over the winter is bad for it, or any different to keeping it on concrete? I'm particularly worried about the exhaust rusting.
I'd like to know as I am keeping my second car, which I will use only about once per month on my front lawn, while my main car is on my drive.
Thanks in advance for your advice. Read more
When starting the car after it being on grass for a coupl of weeks, I've actually noticed a horrible bioling/gurgling sound in the exhaust which begins a couple of min after turning the engine on, then goes away after a couple of miles- This is presumably the condensed moisture boiling away!
am thinking of buying '01 or '02 A3 with tiptronic transmission, possibly diesel if I can find one .. anyone got useful experience to pass on, pse? Read more
1996 Nissan Micra K11 type. Has always started OK.
It has been stood for 7 days as I have been away on holiday. This morning it refused to start. The starter motor turned but the engine wouldn't catch. I tried a few 30 second bursts trying to start it. Any longer than this I feared would definitely drain the battery.
I suspected a flat battery and called out Green Flag. A local garage recovery vehicle turned up and got it starting in less than 5 mins.
Turned out it was a flooded engine. Something I have easily fixed before a couple of times just by putting my foot to the floor and cranking.
The recovery man cranked it for about 3 x 30 secs in a row, and also did a trick of removing the fuel pump fuse then cranking. It eventually spluttered into life, belching black smoke.
The recovery man blamed the "ambient temperature sensor". Only £10 from the Nissan dealer, he reckoned.
What are my strategies to prevent a recurrence of this? Get a new sensor fitted or if flooding reoccurs, just crank like hell at the risk of flattening the battery?
Thanks
Mike Read more
Aprilia is on the money ! There is a modified harness for the Coolant Temperature Sensor incorporating an additional resistor, but I would always change the sensor at the same time.
Flooding is very common where an engine is started from cold, run for only a short time (ie. moving car on driveway, turning round etc) then switched off. There is so much unburnt fuel around that not only are plugs left wet, but oil is washed off the bores leaving very poor compressions / inlet vacuum for next start.
Regards, Adam
Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble.
Have an Ford Escort 1.8 16v petrol. A slight touch of the pedal and it sounds as if the clutch is slipping but take your foot of it and it is okay. Been like this for about 15000 miles. Is this normal behaviour for an Escort or is clutch on way out ? Read more
Many thanks DL and Billy25. I think I will be splashing out the dosh on a new clutch.
Found this via matt35's reply to my posting on meguires polish.
It has to be the most comprehensive guide on the subject!.
Here's hoping I have copied the link correctly. (I've previous history at getting it wrong so fingers crossed here goes).
www.carcareonline.com/viewarticle.aspx?art=8 Read more
I've just bought a 1994 MX5 1.8 S. It's a UK car and seems pretty decent with a couple of dings but nothing major. I recall reading that the 1.6 engine is 'no-contact' on cam belt breakage. Is the 1.8 also a no piston to valve contact engine in the event of a cam-belt failure? I couldn't find a belt change in the history so will have to check the dates of services and what happens at each one when I pick it up. Is the cam-belt swap on these straight forward (previously only done one on a k-series)? What tensioners etc should be swapped?
I'm not sure if this model has an LSD fitted - later S versions did but can't find detailed spec for this one. I believe this just has ABS, PAS and an airbag.
Is fitting a new hood a DIY option? I'm reasonably competant but not a great one for detail. It's got a couple of tears which I could live with (bit of gaffer tape....) but for future re-sale £300 worth of shiny new roof might help.
Piers Read more
Fitting a new hood is a DIY option, the only special tool required is a reasonable pop-riveter.
I did SWMBO MX-5 last year, took me 2 days, they supplied pop-studs to attach the hood the the rain U-channel which collects all the water off the hood and drains it through two tubes behind the B post.
Throw these away and replace them with pop-rivets, it's a lot easier.
Buy a new rain-channel too - it's not worth not replacing if your doing the job.
For what I saved fitting the thing myself, I think I'd pay someone to do it in hindsight - it is a tad fiddly.
Is the search engine ok today?
I have been trying to look up the old threads on this product without any luck, a search on car "car polish" returns nothing from the forum.
I have been using Auto Glym for years but the last bottle of liquid extra shine is not as good as the previous bottle I had.
The polish now leaves a greasy surface which is very difficult to remove.Has anyone else noticed this?.
Can anyone point me in the direction of the old threads or if not, any comments on Meguires polish.
Thanks Mal.
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Mal,
I looked on the search under Meguiers - dumb.
Getting Alshimers - Altshiemers - OLD - is a pain in the something, but I can't remember what.*
Matt35.
* Which saves me getting deleted for the second time this week?
Might be a daft question, but because you get a bigger bang for your buck as it were with Optimax, would this be detrimental to your head gasket on a normal family car, Read more
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I refer the learned gentleman to my post giving the smoke readings at my recent MOT.....
The overfuelling only really occurs on full throttle so not that frequently. The figures given on my car were better than those of some straight off the forecourt!
Anyway, have you ever grabbed a lungful of the volatiles spewing forth when you refill a petrol car?